A King Arisen
by AlexandriaLC
Summary: Five years has passed since the Shadow Invasion, and the Hero has relapsed into his former life of a goatherd. When an invitation to the princess' coronation reaches Ordon, Link finds himself setting out on an adventure that was never really quite finished in the first place. What will become of Hyrule's fate this time around? Link/Zelda *Warning: Suggestive Themes
1. Prologus

**I am very excited to have begun this story! _Twilight Princess_ is still my favorite _Legend of Zelda_ installment for many reasons and I had spent months planning this particular story. Much of this story will include fan theories that I agree with to explain many aspects and clues hidden within the game. Ages and time frames are completely to my discretion. I really wanted to make this story as dramatic and realistic as possible.**

 **As always, I very much hope that you enjoy this story as much as I. Merci ~Alixa**

 **I do not own the _Legend of Zeld_ a franchise nor _Twilight Princess_ or its characters.**

* * *

 _Prologus_

Five long years had passed since the kingdom had overcome the Shadow Invasion. The summer sun bore down harshly over the lonesome ranch just north of the village. He wiped his brow of the dirt that had accumulated across his face and splashed a handful of water to cool his heated skin. Sapphire blues blinked twice before he turned his head back to the labor before him— the same labor which he had chosen to endure when he returned to the village all those years ago.

Watching the Gerudo demon's eyes turn a lifeless white sent a feeling of fulfillment throughout the young hero's body. He had been gone for nearly three years exploring Hyrule's lands, solving difficult riddles, and nearly losing his life on many occasions to slay cruel monsters. In those three years, he received countless scars and wounds which became stories the moment he killed the Demon Lord.

But the most painful scar remained, even after five years.

 _"Not an hour I would assume you to be wander'n," a thick Ordonian accent rolled off of the elder swordsman's tongue. The shadow of his protégé loomed against the calm waters of the spring of the spirit Faron, his back bare and his head in his hands. Never had Rusl encountered the hero in such a vulnerable state. The older man came to sit next to him and he could see the younger man's face stained red with strain and his eyes wild like he had seen the ghost of all of his enemies. "It will not stop, Rusl," the young hero muttered hoarsely, "The battles play like scenes in my head, and those whose death I had witness I can see whenever I close my eyes… I try, but their memory never fades and it haunts me every hour of each day I am alive."_

 _"You have witnessed horrors in which most men cannot fathom, Link." The swordsman pried the hero's hands from his face to see the bewildered look that cursed his features during the hours of darkness. Rusl had watched the man before him grow from a child into the strong young man which he became prior to his journey. Even throughout his journey, Rusl had never witnessed a look so terrified on the hero's face as this. His calloused fingers combed through his dirty blonde tresses and the hero released an exasperated sigh. "The most wicked nightmare which haunts me is the image of the princess herself," Link continued, "She is a woman unlike any whom I have come to know. Oftentimes I wonder to myself… I wonder if the memory of the invasion haunts her conscience like it does mine. I wonder if she endures the pain of the memories with more grace than I, or if she also has moments of weakness where she escapes to seek comfort from the horrors."_

 _The elder swordsman listened on in silence. "Rusl, I wish to leave this village behind and return to the world beyond the forests."_

 _"You have a duty here, Link," he reminded the young man, "You had promised to aid in rebuilding this village from its state of decline which it suffered from the countless sacks of those beasts. It was your own word, Link. You have even been offered the mayor's daughter's hand in marriage upon your return, and now two years later she has yet to receive an answer to her proposal."_

 _"My heart is not with Ilia, Rusl," the hero quickly stated. A small smile tugged at the swordsman's chapped lips as he watched the younger man with admiration. "Tell me, Link. Who or what does your heart desire?"_

 _Another sigh escaped the hero's lips. "Beyond the forests."_

The conversation with Rusl in the woods had helped relieved Link of many burdens which he carried since his return to Ordon. The elder man had made him realize that he was never destined to return to a life from which he escaped upon the embarkment of his journey. Link was meant to leave and never return, but he had no place else to go following the invasion's conclusion. He was a man whom he thought needed to settle down and begin a paternal life with a good countryside woman by his side, raising goat and many children together. However, he often found himself dreaming of a life where he led the Princess of Hyrule on his arm, parading around the castle's familiar walls with the future ruler of the kingdom in royal cloths in both his and Zelda's arms.

The sight of his shadow brought the hero from his thoughts and back to the life of the ranch hand. The setting sun was a sign that his duties were done, and he would retire to his home in the trees for the evening. Rounding up the goats and locking the gates leading to Ordon Ranch were routine to Link now, even as he led Epona into the bustling village. His downcast eyes and path straight to his home had caused the villagers to stray from him, but instead mourn him from afar.

"Aye, Link!" a familiar voice yelled from the waterwheel. The young man watched his surrogate father abandon his conversation with Bo to approach him. To Link he bore a white letter with the kingdom's royal seal embedded in dry wax on the back. His mouth went dry as he took the letter and inspected it with disbelieving eyes. "It's an invitation to the Princess Zelda's royal coronation in a few days' time," Rusl explained as Link carefully tore the seal and opened the letter. Written in the princess' cursive was the context which Rusl had just said. He returned the letter to the envelope and handed it back to Rusl. "We shall depart for Kakariko Village before the sun awakens."

"Ah, an invitation to the princess' coronation, eh?" the hearty mayor smiled toothily, "Why the entire kingdom will be present for such a momentous occasion!"

"It troubles me," Rusl began, briefly stroking the growing stubble of facial hair around his chin, "Throughout history, the female monarchs of the kingdom were required to marry before being crowned the title of 'Queen'. If the Princess Zelda were engaged, then an announcement would have taken the kingdom with celebration, yet the kingdom entirely has received no such news."

"There is another way in which a princess might attain the title of 'Queen'," the mayor interjected, "Usually, she must have a moving reason to want to be a sole ruler and therefore must receive the majority vote of Parliament while also traveling the kingdom to receive the blessing of each of the five Spirits of Light."

"Are you suggesting that the Princess Zelda has appealed to the Royal Parliament for the position?" Rusl immediately asked the mayor. "If what you say of no royal engagement of marriage is true, then I see no other way for her to become Queen." Rusl and Link exchanged expressions of suspicion, but the mayor chose to ignore the questionable situation. "But never nevermind that, men. The crowning of a new monarch, whether one or two, is a momentous occasion for the entire kingdom and is cause for celebration throughout the lands! Link, what would you say to escorting my beautiful daughter to the castle for the event?"

Rusl gave the younger man a curious glance, but the hero knew that this was the chance that he had been awaiting for five excruciating years and he was bound to take it. "With all due respect, I still belong to the kingdom's Resistance Party along with Rusl here, so I am expected to attend the coronation alongside them." An expression of disappointment was obvious on the mayor's features, but he said nothing in protest. He simply bowed his head respectfully and began walking towards his home. "Before the sun awakens," Rusl repeated as he slapped a hand to the hero's shoulder. Link's eyes seemed to smile back at the swordsman with gratitude and for the first time in a long time, Link found himself looking forward to the adventures the next day would hold.

* * *

Just as Rusl had directed, Link was awake well before the sun. He found that he could hardly sleep in anticipation of the fact that he would finally be able to see the lands beyond the forests which he had only dreamed of for the past years. He traveled between the ranch and village, assuring that he was well-supplied for the upcoming journey ahead.

He found himself in the basement of his home in the trees, a lantern alighting the dark room which held all things of adventures past. His weapons such as the double clawshot, bow and quiver, and the sword Rusl had crafted for the Royal Family during the Era of Twilight had hung about the forgotten room. Link found himself running his scarred hand over the Hylian shield's engravings which decorated the shield's face. He could almost see the blood that remained on the shield after countless battles. The scratches that accumulated over the weeks never seemed to do significant damage to the shield, for always appeared in great condition whenever Link cared to inspect it. Even now, the shield appeared in the same condition as when Link can remember first purchasing it in Kakariko Village.

Link held the blade of the battered sword in his hand and used a calloused finger to inspect the blade's sharpness. Shortly after Link returned, he had given the old sword back to Rusl. A few days later, the swordsman had given the blade back newly polished and sharpened as well as he had first done. The hero sheathed the sword again, and turned to face the item which rested atop a chest at the end of the room.

The hero's tunic was something that Link regarded with the utmost respect at the conclusion of his journey. The spirit Faron had explained that the garment was worn by Link's predecessors which embarked on similar journeys to bring the earlier kingdoms of Hyrule peace. The tunic itself had been stained with blood and shredded by the weapons of the Heroes' enemies for centuries, but the spirit had used its strange powers to restore the tunic to new once Link abandoned it for his old ranch garbs. But now, he felt that it was appropriate to attend the Princess Zelda's coronation in the legendary tunic which she met him in as a human. It identified him as her kingdom's hero, and it was a title of which Link took much pride in.

He poured numerous bottles of herbal potions and filled sewed sacks of burlap and jute twine with food that Uli had given him for the journey to the city. She had expressed her wishes of traveling to Castle Town with the rest of the villagers, to which Rusl did not protest.

Link was tightening the straps which held the luggage on Epona's saddle when he made out light footsteps approaching him from behind. When he turned, he found the shy figure of Ilia approaching him with an expression of sadness. He knew what this encounter would turn into, and he came to the realization that this conversation would have been inevitable. She came to stand on the opposite end of Epona, stroking the horse's nose affectionately. Link recalled a similar sight the day his journey began, his heart had raced with romantic feelings towards the girl. Now, his heart ached with regret for the conversation that was about to ensue, and with the knowledge that their relationship would never be the same from this moment forward.

"I feared the day you would leave again," Ilia spoke carefully, her eyes still on the horse. Link remained silent in fear of saying something wrong, so he led the girl before him to continue. "I convinced myself that your return was one of obligation. It was evident that you were miserable here after experiencing the vast world beyond our tiny village. I couldn't blame you, honestly, but I always envisioned us spending our lives together. It was something that everyone wanted for us, but now… Now you're leaving again, and I fear that you'll never come back to me again."

"I'm not doing this for you, Ilia," he finally spoke softly, taking a few steps forward. "Please understand that everything I experienced on my journey has changed me in every way possible. I'm simply not the same man that left the village eight years ago, Ilia. Perhaps if I had returned unchanged, we might have had a future together. But now that… I'm sorry Ilia, I am."

Tears had begun to swell in the girl's eyes, but she wiped them away before the moonlight could reveal them to the man before her. She knew that the day he left destroyed a romantic future for them, but she had come to deny that and held onto the boy Link had used to be. Not having anything else to say, Link led Epona out of the alcove by his home when he heard Rusl's steed approaching the entrance to the forests. His eyes cast downwards at the younger girl, who only looked at him for a moment before returning her gaze to Link. "Please be safe," she croaked weakly, then walked around Epona to return to her own home.

Link's eyes followed her until she disappeared from sight, and he knew how heartbroken she must be. He regretted saying those things to her, regardless of what he said was the truth.

"Humans have a tendency to cling to a happy reality," Rusl spoke softly as Link mounted Epona, "but sometimes one's fantasies must be crushed in order for them to find a happiness in reality." He let the older man's words sink in as he silently followed the swordsman past the spirit of Ordona. After a spell of silence between the traveling companions, Link's eyes caught Rusl's staring at him with a gaze of pride and mischief. He spurred his steed along faster once the two men had crossed the bridge into Faron lands, and a smile graced the swordsman's features as he watched the Hero of Twilight break into a dash towards the fields.


	2. Unum

_Unum_

A two days' travel never seemed to affect the young hero, regardless of the fact that he had not embarked on prolonged travels in many years. Perhaps it was due to the long hours of labor he endured back in Ordon that helped eased the continuous travel, or maybe even Rusl's companionship that Link had always enjoyed. Perhaps though, it was the reality that Link had finally set foot beyond the forests for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, and the adrenaline that coursed through his veins had given him a new energy altogether.

"Ho, Link!" Rusl called above the winds that swept through the gorge. His gloved finger pointed straight ahead towards a steel and wood gate that seemed to loom much taller than Link once remembered. "Let us take a few hours' time to visit the village. I assume that you and Epona are able to ride through the night," Rusl said as he trotted next to the younger swordsman.

The hero could recall the first time he had set eyes on this land— covered in twilight, and bisected by a single fissure without a bridge to cross it. Only with the help of his most treasured companion did he manage to cross the gorge and explore the village that lie ahead of it. In present years, the bridge across the gorge was renovated to appear more sturdy, although Link noticed that most structures south of the Eldin lands continued to lack anything but wooden structures. Even the steel gates that protected the entrance to the recovering village was reinforced almost entirely with wood that hid steel poles and bars.

"You would be surprised with how much this village has changed, Link," Rusl spoke as they rounded the giant mountainous walls that guarded the village. The spirit spring remained as scenic as the hero last recalled. The village had also invested in a sign which told of the Light Spirit which presided over the once abandoned village.

The village itself, however, had changed drastically. The once abandoned town was now bustling with newfound life. Buildings and homes were in the process of reconstruction, and soldiers roamed amongst the crowds of people. The soldiers' uniforms, however, were very different than Link remembered. Their uniforms were blackened and the dark grey armor they wore more closely resembled the Darknuts that the hero had slain as opposed to the Hyrulean soldiers that were once so disliked. Even more odd was the fact that said soldier bore no crest nor symbol upon their shields or breastplates, signifying that they held no loyalty.

"What's going on here?" Link muttered in a hushed voice as they caught sight of a crowd gathered outside of the newly built stone sanctuary. At first, it seemed like villagers were angrily protesting but the increasing presence of guards led the two swordsmen to believe that the soldiers were trying to protect something in front of the sanctuary's doors. Rusl watched the younger man spur Epona further towards the scene, and he yelled for the crowd to disperse with unmatched authority. The people parted as if they were a flood, and scattered back to their business amidst the village. Rusl noticed the soldiers remain, but at a safe distance. Many of them had their hands behind their backs, prepared to draw their spears on a moment's decision.

Before the sanctuary's doors stood the village's revered shaman, Renado, dressed in the same ritualistic garb which Link could recall by memory. Before the shaman stood a man whose impressive armor and arsenal gave the impression that he was of higher ranking, perhaps a general. The shaman's expression reverted to a calm one once he caught sight of the hero's green.

"I welcome you back, Hero of Twilight," Renado greeted in his soothingly calm voice. Link dismounted his horse to shake the shaman's outstretched hand with a firm grasp— one that conveyed the excitement to have been reunited and the gratitude for the man's ever welcomed hospitality. The sound of the foreign commander clearing his throat interrupted the old friends' reunion, and Link's body language seemed to scream of opposition the moment he turned around to face him. "Sire, you are obstructing this arrest and therefore I must ask you to also leave this scene."

Link looked back and forth between the commander and Renado, the words which were spoken did not completely process within his mind. Was a commander truly here to arrest a religious man? "Arrest? What law has this devoted priest broken?" Link retorted, but the commander stood his ground. "As of nine month's time past, it was declared as law that no religion, whether it be of your pompous Golden Goddesses or not, was to be practiced within the kingdom of Hyrule."

"By whose orders was this law made?"

"The Princess Zelda herself."

"Absolute shit," Link shot a mouthful of spit at the commander's feet, looking him intently in the eye. He knew full well that the princess was the wielder of the historic Triforce of Wisdom, and therefore she could not deny the belief her people put in the Golden Goddesses. The throne itself had a huge statue dedicated to the triune beings. Nevertheless, the commander turned hostile at Link's disrespectful gesture and his right hand flew to the hilt of a sword that peeked from his left hip.

"I would strongly advise against that," Rusl stated boldly, leading his steed to stand beside the stone sanctuary. "Pull your sword and I guarantee that you will lose your life. You are taking up arms against the legendary Hero of Twilight, mind you." The commander's hand wavered at his blade, but never moved it. His eyes locked intently on the young hero before him, but Link sensed that the tension had not been removed in the slightest. "How interesting," the commander chuckled, replacing his right hand with his left on the sword, "I'm sure that the Great Chancellor shall be delighted to know that the mythical Hero of Twilight has crawled out of his hole in the dirt called Ordon." Link inched forward as if he were to make the first strike, but Renado's cold hand restrained the hero from doing something he would regret. "His Excellency would also be interested in knowing that the well-respected and respectful shaman of the religious village resisted arrest with the help of… two accomplices."

The commander sauntered past Rusl to retrieve his own black steed, who was decorated with white reigns. "Enjoy the desert, bastard," was his last words before spurring his steed towards the northern Hyrule Fields. A wave of relief seemed to wash over Renado at the commander's retreat. "Thank you for your intervention, friends," Renado spoke as he bowed respectfully to the men. "No thanks necessary," Link chuckled, his hand resting on the shaman's shoulder, "But tell us, what that man said could not have been true, right? The Princess Zelda abandoning the triune religion? She is a bearer of a fragment of the Triforce herself, like I, so surely—"

"Shh," the shaman hushed hurriedly, "Come away to the sanctuary, friends. There I shall reveal all there is to know to you, Link." The travelers followed Renado past the stone doors into a stone chamber which contained a magnificent statue of the Golden Goddesses themselves. Stone emblem tributes were crafted to pay respects to the Goron and Zora tribes before the Goddesses. Behind the statue was a passageway which Link once had climbed down. The passageway was now a small stone staircase that led to a rotunda, and he recognized the statue that was once moved by his Dominion Rod. Another stone staircase led the men to a breathtaking chamber.

The once desolate chamber was now decorated in stained glass and colored stone. The once broken Sky Cannon that had been repaired on one of Lake Hylia's islands had been relocated back to this chamber. Standing candlesticks decorated the circumference of the room.

Before the striking cannon stood a lone figure. The man was dressed in whitened robes outlined in royal purple. Link could not recognize this man until he noticed the ginger locks which were somewhat hidden by the high collar. His suspicions were confirmed when the figure turned and dark blue eyes ogled him from behind big round glasses. "Ah, it's you old boy!" Shad chuckled as he hurriedly strode over to shake Link's hand. "We had not seen you for ages, lad! Word went around Hyrule Castle that you had returned to your former life in Ordon, but no one had reason to confirm these theories. Of course, Rusl here told us of your wellbeing when he returned from spending time in the Ordona Province. I am absolutely cheered that the years away have not done you harm!"

Shad was everything that Link remembered— excitable, intelligent, and quick with his words. It was quite refreshing to have someone of Shad's personality in his presence, he decided.

"Shad, can you recall to me what has happened over the years?" Link hastily spoke before the younger man could speak any further about life in the Royal Parliament. His mouth finally closed, and after looking between Rusl and Renado, Shad figured that neither man had bothered to even mention a detail of the things which had come to pass in the kingdom.

"Fine, but be warned that what you hear that will pass from my lips and what you shall witness with your eyes at the coronation in two days' time shall be two contradictory things. One must look deeper into the problem at hand for one to recognize that there is one," with those words, Rusl drove his father's treasured dagger into the ground before his feet. A hidden pedestal laid before him, and once activated extinguished all of the candles in the room. The statue was empowered with lingering magic to move back in front of the entrance, and the only light source came from the sunlight above.

"Following the conclusion of the Shadow Invasion, I was invited to join the Royal Parliament as an honorary advisor to Her Highness herself," Shad began, "For the past five years, I have been building my credentials to become a senior advisor and take part in the meeting of the elders of Parliament. However, I have come to learn many things even as an honorary member. Since Hyrule's triumph with your hands, the kingdom has fallen into a state of vulnerability as it goes through reconstruction. Essentially, Hyrule is still as weak as it was when it was besieged by that dreaded demon you had slain. I have strong reason to believe that a secret race has crept into the walls of the Royal Parliament and Her Highness' rule has fallen into jeopardy. According to my research, I believe that this secret race has originated from the Desert Province, as they have recently become hostile towards outsiders at the conclusion of the Era. Many members of this race have become members of Parliament, which pose a serious threat to Her Highness' political rule. However, the most gruesome and troublesome fellow is a cunning man by the name of Alistair. His background is almost entirely unknown, but he is a shady fellow whom I overheard has made threats against Her Highness herself if she had not turned her kingdom over to either his sole rule or the complete rule of Parliament itself."

"Royal Parliament already holds the majority power for lawmaking and enforcement," Rusl chimed in, "It's not completely unfathomable that a ruling body such as that would want to expand their power."

"Yes, however, the reigning monarch still holds absolute power when it comes down to enforcing final decisions. The Princess Zelda herself is the ultimate judicial body of the kingdom, for she uses her Triforce of Wisdom to decide what is good for her people and kingdom as a whole. Knowing this, she has decided to travel the kingdom in order to gain the blessing of the five Light Spirits scattered across Hyrule to ascend as the sole monarch of the kingdom. Once Queen, Her Highness' power becomes more absolute and lawmaking will become more of a headache for those of Parliament. However, it is not a foolproof plan. If enough members of Parliament can vote against her decisions that she will be almost powerless, and I foresee that it will not be long before that becomes a reality for Her Highness…"

"Then what can be done?" Link quickly asked. "Not much that a sword and shield can, I am afraid," Shad retorted, "This is strictly a matter of state, and unless you were to become the King of Hyrule in the near future, then this is a situation that you simply cannot control." Shad's words seemed to hit Link a little deeper than he realized. Of course, he did not realize the underlying meaning of his words, but Link caught onto them clearly. Shad retrieved his dagger, which lit every candle and opened the entrance once again. He buried it deep into his book of the Occa and began to move past the men. "I trust that I shall see you men in two days' time at Her Highness' coronation? Link, you and Rusl are expected at Telma's Bar the moment you arrive at Castle Town on the day of the coronation. The Resistance shall be truly reunited for the first time since the Era and perhaps there will be something that you can do to help this situation. Until then, be well gentlemen."

Shad hurried up the stone staircase with his robes dragging the floor behind him. Renado explained that the young scholar often visited the sanctuary to seek solace and embed himself in his favorite pastime of Occa study. A carriage awaited him outside to escort him to Castle Town.

"Do not allow the man's words to dishearten you, Hero," Renado began as he escorted the men to the surface, "Shad means well, but he is deeply troubled by the occurrences which have recently befallen our kingdom. I think it best you both attend the coronation and have an audience with the newly crowned Queen." The men bowed to the shaman before mounting their steeds. "I wish you well on your newfound journey, Hero of Twilight. May the light of the Golden Goddesses guide you."

* * *

 **This story excites me so much! Merci beaucoup for all of the encouraging reviews on the prologue chapter (: (:**

 **As I say in many other stories, I cannot promise update times because I am a student at university, so please bear with me. I am also suffering from a broken finger, but I can still write at a slower pace.**

 **Merci for your continued support. Much love to all. ~Alixa**


	3. Duo

_Duo_

It would not have been an exaggeration to say that the festivities of the day could be heard throughout the entire kingdom of Hyrule. To many, it was a happy day to see their young princess ascend to the title of Queen— a luxury that most Hyruleans alive in this age have yet to witness.

"You know, not even I have been alive long enough to witness the coronation of a Hyrulean King or Queen," Rusl spoke just loud enough for his Ordonian companion to hear him above the noise that plagued the city. Castle Town was extravagantly decorated for the coronation; banners bearing the crest of the griffin hung from almost every balcony and wall, lanterns prepared to be lit at the hour of twilight were carried by almost every excitable townsperson, and mixtures of red rose and pink tulip petals were littered across every stone pavement throughout the fortressed city. Young girls twirled about the streets in pretty dresses, talking of their excitement to finally look upon the queen-to-be. Music rang throughout the city, emitting from the numerous small bands that hid away in the shadows of the large walls.

It was not surprising that leading the two horses through the crowds that bustled and pushed their way through the Castle Town streets was more of a chore than ever before. Link would spur Epona on a little more if he felt the crowds were not moving as fast he liked, and the two men eventually found their way down the southern street from the western gate. Two Hyrulean guards bearing the crest of the griffin stood watch at the top of the alcove leading to the bar which five vigilantes called their safe haven. The two Ordonian swordsmen left their steeds in the hands of trustworthy townspeople before descending to the hidden entrance of the bar.

Opening the door to the bar was like entering another world entirely. Local swordsmen, visiting foreigners, and even the eccentric locals could be found in the hidden drinking hole. It was not out of place, given the occasion, to find that the bar's patrons were dressed to attend a wedding celebration rather than drink their excitement to new heights.

It brought a small smile to the swordsman's face when he caught sight of the lively woman sliding pints of beer down the countertops to customers. She had grown out her red hair, he observed, and now it reached to the end of her grey jacket. Telma's boisterous and authoritative personality still remained, as Link watched her bark at numerous customers.

"There ain't no free beer here just 'cause of the damn coronation!" she yelled over the loud conversations filling the room. Rusl made his way through the crowds to the back room while Link pushed through drunkards to reach an empty stool at the bar. "Pint!" the young swordsman called, knowing that the bartender would instinctively react to the sound of his voice. He watched the older woman fill a glass pint at the barrel and hurry over to where he sat. When she reached his seat, Link wore a smirk as the older woman flinched back as she looked him in the eye and her expression dramatically transformed to one of surprise and relief.

"Praise the Goddesses! Link, no one's seen or heard from you in five damn years!" the woman pushed herself over the bar to capture the man in an awkward embrace. Loud cheers erupted from around them with numerous drunken compliments on Telma's breasts. Both chuckled at the refreshing exchange, and Telma began to wave him from around the bar. "Get your ass to the back room, dear. All of our friends have been waiting for you! I need to kick all of these hooligans out and then I can be…" Honestly, Link lost track of her conversation when she began to move about the crowds that packed the bar.

The bar had been slightly renovated to add a wall and door to the back room where the Resistance Party once met behind a tapestry. The door to the room was unsurprisingly locked, and Link was sure that the key to access the room hung around one of the rings on Telma's jacket. The next thing Link knew to do was to pound a gloved fist against the door loud enough for those inside to hear above the noise of the bar.

Soon enough, the door opened to reveal the face of the same companion he travelled to the city with. The older man smiled and opened the door wider, revealing the rest of his friends that were gathered around a polished wooden roundtable.

Shad was seated to the right in an expensive looking chair. His robes were similar to the ones he wore in Kakariko, but the the whites were exchanged for passionate violet. The eldest member of the Resistance was dressed in similar robes, but his were trimmed with a royal red instead of Shad's shimmering gold. Master Auru looked much less rustic dressed in robes of the Royal Parliament, and Link felt much more at ease knowing that the corrupt government had at least one wise advisor. Between the advisors stood a familiar female soldier whom Link recalled had a certain fascination for the arctic mountains. Her attire had not changed much, give the addition of a shield which bore the Hyrulean emblem of the Triforce protected by the griffin. Ashei's hair had also grown, but she kept hers tied into long braids.

"Decided to stop hiding after five years, yeah?" the mountain-raised soldier smirked. She firmly shook his hand. "Pleasure to see you after so long, Ashei. I trust that your expedition in Snowpeak went well?" She scoffed in response, but moved closer to Shad's chair as if in a defensive position. "About as well as Shad's expedition of the Sacred Grove. The Master Sword hasn't been returned to its pedestal, yeah?" Her comment seemed accusing, but Telma's entrance into the room seemed to completely dispel whatever tension had been accumulating within the room.

"It pleases me greatly that you have returned to the kingdom, Master Link." The entire atmosphere of the room changed the moment Auru spoke a word. Link could almost see the authority that reverberated through his voice. The elderly man pushed back his chair to stand before the group, his hand still connected to the old rugged map of the entire kingdom of Hyrule that had laid sprawled across that table ever since before Link's journey.

"Master Link, Shad has informed me of your encounter with the interlopers of our society in Kakariko Village," he began. Not even Shad spoke up at this point, which was very out of character for the young enthusiastic scholar. "However, young Shad has left out a few minor details which I have spent years researching, so allow me to elaborate on Shad's foundation. Our Princess Zelda has been fighting an exhausting battle in parliament these last few years, and to be frank, she has come to last resort decisions regarding her position in court. These… men, so to speak, are apart of an unknown race but they do come from a race that is well versed in magic. This isn't the same as Princess Zelda's sorcery which has been bestowed to her by the grace of the Goddesses, but an inherited skill. They are descendants of magic."

"There are only two races who are proficient in magic that have existed within Hyrule," Shad finally spoke up from his chair. The elder advisor seemed amused with his statement. "The Twili and the fairies are the first that come to mind, correct?" the question was a trick one, and Shad rubbed his neck in embarrassment. "You have left one race out, however. The Sheikah were once a race crafted by the Golden Goddesses uniquely to protect the Royal Family. However, the Hyrulean Civil War before the era of the Hero of Time nearly annihilated the entire race. The Sheikah formally came to an extinction when Impaz died four months ago." Link's head shot up, immediately recalling the memory of the poor elderly woman whom he saved years ago. He had become particularly fond of her during his headache of finding the City in the Sky.

"But I do not suspect these men of being members of the Sheikah tribe," Auru quickly asserted, "They lack the physical characteristics of such a race and members of the tribe prefer secrecy, therefore it would not be audacious to say that the notion of the Sheikah being formally extinct was… incorrect."

"And what exactly are you implying?" Link finally spoke up, his arms crossed in a position that conveyed a nonverbal message of seriousness. Auru's lips twitched into a smirk, but his calm demeanor never wavered. "I am asserting that if it ever came down to another invasion or war, then enlisting the help of such a race would be essential to another victory. Of course, that is not our only option. Although the Gerudo people have become hostile since the end of the Era of Twilight, they still hold valuable information on the more secretive races that once freely roamed Hyrule. I'm sure that getting a hold of that information will go a long way towards discrediting the men of parliament."

"And the men of parliament," Link interjected immediately, "Who are they, exactly?"

Master Auru seemed to give Shad a discontent look, but nonetheless kept serious eye contact with the legendary hero before him. "A man named Alistair has become a prominent member of Royal Parliament. He is a very well-respected man amongst his colleagues but there are rumors that he exhibits very questionable behavior behind closed doors, particularly when he seeks a private audience with Her Highness. He has a right hand man who is unquestionably loyal to him. He virtually has no identity, but members of the Royal Parliament refer to him as the 'Great Chancellor'. He's a mysterious man who rarely speaks. Like Master Alistair, the Great Chancellor also possesses sorcery to a certain extent, which leads me to believe that he hails from the same race as Master Alistair himself. The only solid evidence we have is that Master Alistair is blackmailing Her Highness into usurping her position, and the Great Chancellor is carrying out his plan actively across the kingdom."

The information was particularly alarming to Link, and the rest of the Resistance Party that remained silent throughout Auru's explanation. It was true that a physical altercation was Link's particular forte, but when it came to the matter of the state, he knew that men like Auru and Shad were born to fight those battles. Still, he hated to feel useless knowing that Princess Zelda's freedom may very well be at stake due to politics. It angered him more than someone taking her life.

A firm knock on the wooden door seemed to vanquish the tense atmosphere once again, and many who had been on the edge of their seats suddenly began to lean back into more relaxed positions. On Auru's command, a Hyrulean soldier opened the door just enough to reveal himself.

"Master Auru, Master Shad, the Royal Parliament shall be assembling in the throne room shortly for the coronation. Your escorts into the castle have arrived," the man stated, then bowed before closing the door behind him. The two advisers exchanged knowing looks, which peeked Link's curiosity.

"I am afraid that our time has come to an end. Master Link, I expect to see you as one of the guests of honor at Her Highness' coronation," Auru chuckled as he bowed to the young swordsman. The violet robes dragged behind them like wedding trains as they gracefully make their way across the bar and to a group of soldier who wait them with white horses.

"There's much risk to what they do for us, yeah," Ashei suddenly spoke from beside Link. Her brown eyes never left the two advisors as they mounted the horses and were escorted into the busy roads of the city. "What do you mean by that?" Link asked quietly. Her eyes found his the moment Shad and Auru disappeared from sight, and Link could identify a sense of seriousness in what she was about to say. "Advisors are trusted men, yeah? They live and work by a strict code put in place by the ancient Royal Family. So naturally, Shad and Master Auru break that code, and theoretically break the Princess' trust by researching their own colleague and suspecting him of foul play. If word were to get out, it would ruin their reputations, yeah?"

"So then why not allow another faction inside the castle investigate? The soldiers perhaps?" Link asserted, but only earned a scoff from Ashei. She turned to walk back inside the bar with the young hero at her heels. "You're a fool to think that even the military would support a coup d'tat at this point. Our kingdom just barely survived an invasion, yeah? So why would the military want to throw our kingdom into an even more chaotic state with a coup?"

"Because a coup might be less violent than a foreign army of magic wielders who come in and invade our land the same way the Twili did," Link quickly retorted. An awkward silence developed between the two swordsmen. It took Ashei a moment to process what he had said, but soon enough a smirk formed across her features and she turned halfway towards Ashei. "It's an interesting thought, yeah. Shame that our military supports Alistair's political agenda. It might have worked otherwise, yeah?"

The Hero of Twilight released a heavy sigh. It was like back in the olden days— talk was cheap, and the only way ideals and solutions were pushed was through actions. Link's actions. The only thing that was clear to the Resistance Party was that there was no solid evidence for anything they theorized. It was all rumors and talk. He became sick of it almost.

"Link, honey," Telma's soothing voice jolted him back to reality and he found a sympathetic smile across her features. She had a heavy sack in both of her hands that seemed aged, but something that was obviously precious to her. "I know that all you wanna do some good for the kingdom, but nothin's gonna get done unless you do somethin' about it." Her words were simple, but Link felt they had a double meaning to them.

She pressed the woven sack into his hands. "Here's somethin' to wear to the Princess' coronation in a little bit. Now why don't you go change and freshen up while I fetch the rest of us plebeians a ride to the castle, hm?"


	4. Tria

_Tria_

To the Hero of Twilight, it seemed that the courtyards of the great stone Hyrule Castle were just as lively as the bustling streets of the city just south of it. Hyrulean soldiers were aligned in military formations, periodically switching directions and marching short distances with celebratory rifles in hand. The soldiers themselves seemed to be decorated with more sturdy armor that was polished so well that the sun's rays glistened off of them. Servants and handmaidens scurried about the maze of soldiers, the ends of their white and coral dresses and robes flying just behind them. Sounds of trumpets, drums, and many other musical instruments echoed from the walls surrounding the courtyards.

"Quite a day," was all the swordsman could manage. A smirk and a small chuckle escaped Rusl's mouth as he patted the younger man firmly on the shoulder. Ashei had departed from the carriage in the western courtyard to command her fraction of the Hyrulean Army. Those under Ashei's command wore a small fur cloth between their shoulder pieces to show their allegiance to the Snowpeak Province.

When the carriage stopped a second time, it seemed as if Link had stepped into another world entirely. Suddenly, he felt like he belonged within the stone walls with a sword strapped to his back and the Hyrulean crest engraved upon his shield and armor. "Make haste, Link. The coronation will start without you if you do not," Rusl called from behind him. The younger man opened the door and helped Telma from the carriage before walking up the stone steps to the doors of the castle. To Link's surprise, they were opened. Servants scattered all over the foyer in an attempt to make last minute preparations for the grandest celebration the nation has ever known.

"Master Link, are you?" the Ordonian was jolted from his thoughts by the softer voice of a maid before him. She had unusually dark skin and hair so blonde that Link almost mistook the color as snow white. Her eyes, although a sinister red, seemed gentle and inviting— a trait that immediately made Link cautious of this woman. "I am," he nonetheless replied. "I am instructed to escort you to the throne room upstairs. Her Royal Highness has demanded that you are given an honored place at the coronation." An honored place at the coronation? Had Princess Zelda truly held him in such high regard since their brief encounters during the Era of Twilight? Link recalled that his longest conversation with the Princess had been their departure from the Desert Province following Midna's goodbye. Even though Link had offered to escort the Princess back to Hyrule Castle, he barely spoke a word during their journey back for the pain of losing his closest friend had hurt him so deeply. She had spoken soft and comforting words, he recalled, but no actions of his towards her had earned him such a highly regarded place amongst the coronation attendees.

Nostalgia overwhelmed Link in a blink of an eye as the mysterious handmaiden guided him through the castle hallways. He noticed that double spiral staircases had been added to the main foyer. Stone steps had also been added to the room in which he first encountered a Darknut within the castle. The maiden had taken him through the passageway with the red carpets, he recalled, being without light and infested with bats. When they reached the upper chambers, Link was impressed with how much had changed. As they entered the first room, he could feel the lingering spirits of the soldiers which guided him through the maze of falling tiles. He noticed that additional passageways had been constructed as an ulterior way to the Houses of Parliament. The familiar three staircases had also been reconstructed perfectly, and somehow seemed less sinister than the memories of which Link had of them.

Finally, the handmaiden had escorted him back into the open air of the uppermost balcony. The celebratory music and cheering had hit him again as his eyes were met with crowds of people filling the throne room. Aside from the crowds, three soldiers awaited them and the mysterious maid had instructed the soldiers to take him to one of the many balconies which were constructed to oversee the entire room.

He was by his lonesome, he realized. The soldiers remained at their post behind Link's chair when he seated himself and leaned over the railing to watch the assembly that surrounded the throne. Immediately, Link spotted Master Auru in his violet and crimson robe amongst the eleven other advisors of Parliament. Shad was close at his heel in similar robes but with a golden trim. It signified his place as a senior advisor to the men of Parliament amongst numerous others. _"A man named Alistair has become a very prominent member of Royal Parliament…"_ Auru's words echoed in the back of his mind as his piercing blue eyes scanned the men below him. Neither Auru nor Shad had given him a physical description of this elusive man and his Chancellor, but Link bet that his body language would scream his identity.

As he examined each senior advisor and member of Parliament closely, Link watched as a man with silver hair that reached to the bottom of his spine approached Shad and immediately struck a conversation with him. His robes told Link that the man was the same status as Shad himself— a senior advisor— but he wore white gloves on his hands and a strange golden necklace which hung above his robes. Shad's expressions remained of a serious nature during their conversation, but the other man appeared carefree in his speech. It was something that Link took note of, but thought nothing more of it.

What Link truly wanted was to be able to single out the man named Alistair, but a single trumpet silenced the entire throne room so much so that even he could hear a pin drop from fifty feet below. Soldiers assigned to different provinces marched into the throne room. After the Hyrulean banner, soldiers from Ordona filed in, then those from Faron, Eldin, Lanayru, and so on. The soldiers formed a perimeter around the throne room and between the crowd; the commanders of the respective provinces stood amongst their underlings. Link could spot Ashei posted conveniently at the edge of the crowd on the other side of Auru and Shad. The men of Parliament made a single line on either side of the throne; the numerous senior advisors clustered behind them.

Following the procession of soldiers came the priest. Something inside of Link wished that it was Renado who would be given the honor of coronating Princess Zelda. He believed that it would have been a proper reward for the shaman's bravery and self sacrifice during the Era of Twilight. This priest was elderly, dressed in spotless white robes and a tall ceremonial hat. He carried a staff which held the griffon protecting the Triforce at the top. The priest took his place at the foot of the throne and behind him had followed two eunuchs which carried the Royal Family's coronation crown and scepter.

Finally, the music changed to a more pompous triumphant sound which lasted a short while. Link felt the overwhelming urge to rise from his seat at the sounds and rested his hands on the stone of the railing as he looked out to see the shadowed form of a woman.

She was absolutely breathtaking.

The Princess wore an elongated gown that had faded from a passionate red to a pure white at the trims and train. Golden embellishments decorated her gown everywhere, but it only added to her elegance as both a woman and a ruler instead of cluster the dress. The shoulder armor hid her naked shoulders but revealed the outline of her collarbone and neck. Her dress seemed to be a tight fit in the torso as Link eyed the small amount of cleavage that peaked through. The Princess' hair was tied back into the familiar half braid but the absence of a crown atop her head made her seem much more her age than when Link saw her with one. Regardless, she was just as captivating as the first time he had ever set eyes on her.

"Inhabitants of the kingdom of Hyrule," the priest's voice boomed throughout the structure, "I welcome you this midday to a joyous occasion. Blessed is this kingdom by the hands of the Great Golden Goddesses themselves, and by the grace and guidance of the Goddess Hylia."

The coronation ceremony itself dragged on. Formal speeches given by the priest and the occasional drill lines of the soldiers present made up most of the ceremony thus far. Link had come to slouch in his seat until the priest spoke up once more. "Your Royal Highness Zelda, you have been chosen by the power of the Light Spirits charged with protecting our great kingdom to act as the hand of the Golden Goddesses themselves. With the almighty power vested within the Triforce of Wisdom, lead our great kingdom in times of hardship and in prosperity."

It was at this time that the Princess Zelda had turned to face the crowds that had gathered to watch this historical moment. She collapsed gracefully to her knees while keeping her posture proper. The priest had taken the crown from the scarlet pillow one eunuch held and another eunuch had taken the scepter. "With the power invested in me by the five Great Light Spirits and the Golden Goddesses, I now crown you the Royal Majesty Queen Zelda of Hyrule." Cheers erupted the moment the white fur of the crown touched the top of her head and the scepter placed in her left hand which was crossed over her chest. The symbol of the Triforce of Wisdom began to glow through the fabric of her right hand as her lips twitched into a smile.

Link rose to his feet to applause, a smile mirrored onto his features as his eyes met hers for just a moment. Soldiers began to escort the members of Parliament out first along with their advisors, followed by the commanders who escorted the priest and the newly crowned Queen. "I have received word from Master Auru that he requires you in the celestial hall." Link had all but forgotten about the handmaiden who had escorted him to his seat. As she bowed and began to lead him back downstairs, he had wondered if she had been standing behind him amongst the soldiers the entire time.

He was led through the passageway inside the room with ghosts into a more decorated study which was lined with blue and white trimmings, bookcases, and intricately designed sculptures. Within the grand room awaited Auru, Shad, Ashei, Rusl, and Telma. "Thank you," Auru bowed respectfully to the maid. "In addition, the newly crowned Queen of Hyrule has requested a private audience with the Hero of Twilight shortly hereafter," the maid added before bowing and closing the doors to give the Party some privacy.

"Did you enjoy yourself, Master Link?" Auru smiled. Link could tell that Auru watching the Princess Zelda being coronated was similar to a father watching his daughter being married off to the most respectable bachelor alive. He was proud, and he knew that her mother and father would have been as well. "It was a splendid occasion," Link smiled back. "Celebrations will begin soon and many of us will be called back to our post," Ashei interrupted in a more serious tone, "so let's get down to business, yeah?" The smiles faded and the atmosphere quickly turned tense amongst the friends. "Yes, Master Link, I have a request of y—"

"This is not an appropriate time or place to rendezvous in secrecy." A deep voice immediately interrupted Auru's train of thought. Six pairs of eyes flew to the interloper standing at the opposite doorway. Link recognized the man who had struck conversation with Shad shortly before the coronation ceremony formally began. However, his features appeared aged, probably around the fifties. His piercing purple eyes scanned every member of the Party before taking a few steps forward.

"Chancellor," Auru greeted with a curt bow, which the man mirrored with an exaggeration. "Master Auru, a pleasure to see you at the celebrations today," he smiled with pristinely clean teeth, but his eyes shifted suspiciously towards Link.

"…by the order of the Hyrulean law. You have the right to remain silent…" Voices boomed from behind the Chancellor. Soldiers with the Eldin emblems seemed to be carrying a person towards the passageway that led to the castle's dungeons. It was an arrest, Link confirmed, but he was unable to identify the person under arrest although… the voice was oddly familiar.

"Renado!" Telma shrieked and lurched forward in an attempt to insert herself between the shaman and the soldiers. However, Auru and Rusl firmly held her back in the blink of an eye and suddenly the sound of three weapons being drawn echoed throughout the room. Both Ashei and Link held their blades tightly in their grip, but their eyes widened when they witnessed the opposing blade before them. Before the Chancellor was a blade of his own, suspended in the air by some sort of sorcery.

"I would not advise rash action," he sinisterly stated. "That man is innocent!" Link exclaimed violently, refusing to drop his guard. Ashei sent him a cautious glance but he was too agitated to notice. A smirk spread across the Chancellor's features as his eyes stripped the familiar blade. "So you are the legendary Hero of Twilight… Link, was it?" The young swordsman remained silent; the only reaction being a scowl on his face. "You are praised for your mastery of fighting and swordsmanship throughout the entire kingdom… Even Her Royal Highness seems to hold you in her highest favors."

The levitating sword seemed to inch closer to Link's blade as the elder man spoke. The rest of the Party seemed frozen in their tracks as they awaited a result from the two men's interaction. "You do understand that another man has come to win her favors, have you? Or has being secluded in that farm village deprived you of knowing anything about the Princess?"

"You are scum, yeah," Ashei spat bravely, earning a momentary glance from the Chancellor. "Call me what you will. Master Alistair has already made arrangements to ascend as King," the man continued, "And he shall be taking that damsel as his trophy wife."

At that moment, the silver of the Chancellor's blade contacted the edge of the Master Sword and in the blink of an eye, Link had lunged to entrap the man. However, a strong gravitational force repelled Link with inhumane strength and before Link could even form a coherent thought, he was lifted from his feet and sent flying backwards. The next thing he felt was his spine contact with the stone wall behind him and a series of loud cracks were heard throughout the silent rooms. This was a pain that Link had not experienced before. He felt paralyzed and he could feel the blood seep from his ears as he barely registered the numerous screams of his name that followed. His eyes grew weary as Ashei's figure rushed towards him and that was his last sight before Link felt himself succumb to the pain and the darkness.

* * *

 **Apologies for the cliffhanger ending, but I promise that the story gets better from here on out. I enjoy reading the reviews in which everyone is so eager to figure out everything! It makes me feel like the story is going very smoothly! Please continue to read and review this story, and constructive criticism is always welcomed!**

 **~Alixa**


	5. Quattuor

**I appreciate the very helpful reviews that were posted after the last chapter. I now have things to work on for this story and many others which I plan to write! Also, I did categorize this story as a "romance" story (and yes, that is coming VERY soon) but this is also intended to be an adventure story also.**

 **Please continue to give me constructive criticism in order to make these stories more enjoyable.**

 **~Alixa**

* * *

 _Quattuor_

Indigo blue eyes finally fluttered open to be greeted by dim light. It had seemed like an eternity of darkness to the Hero of Twilight; almost like a dreamless abyss from which he could not escape. Questions raced through his now conscious mind as his blurry sight grew clearer. Rusted bars separated him from the outside world. Stone bricks formed a sort of cell around him with only a single torch to offer light.

Link pushed himself from the warm stone of the floor into an upright position, he felt a sort of grain embed itself into the calloused skin of his palms. _Sand_. He scrambled clumsily to his feet and pressed his cheek against the bars. It was a circular chamber with a single pillar in the middle. A twisted pattern was engraved into the pillar as a sort of screw, he noticed, and the atmosphere seemed oddly nostalgic to the Hero.

"You've awakened," a raspy voice chuckled from across the room, "I was beginning to think you dead." The Hero's eyes met a figure slouched in another cell across the chamber from his. A rugged and torn cloak hid the figure's identity for the most part, give a part of red eyes that locked gazes with his and hair as white as fresh snow on the mountains. This figure was a woman— something Link could tell by her feminine voice. Her half lidded eyes and slow breathing suggested that she had gone through severe torture here, or suffering from illness.

"What is this place?" Link asked immediately, his grip on the bars loosening. The figure shifted in the corner of her cell as she replied, "The Arbiter's Grounds. An ancient prison used to house only the most dangerous of criminals the kingdom of Hyrule has faced." Arbiter's Grounds? That's why it felt so familiar. He had raced against the prison's quicksands and trekked the mazes of mechanisms with his old companion years ago and standing within the prison again made Link feel as if he could remember every square inch he travelled.

"The Arbiter's Grounds have been abandoned for hundreds of years," Link recalled, "Who has taken command of it?"

As if to answer his question, the woman nodded her head upwards as a sign for Link to look to the platform above him. On one platform three stories above stood a woman armed with a spear. She had piercing eyes and her face below her eyes was covered by a veil. Long red hair was shaped into an exaggerated ponytail. The woman wore gold armor on her arms, shoulders, and breasts, and flowing pants that seemed to hang loosely on the waist. Nonetheless, the woman appeared to be a soldier of sorts by the way she held herself in position.

"Gerudo soldiers," the mysterious woman spoke again. This time, she had come to stand against the rusted bars of her own prison cell. Dark blue pants clung to her legs and she seemed to wear similar colored boots. "Four of them carried you down to that cell three months ago. I assumed that you had already fallen into a coma by the time you arrived, but I wasn't sure to think you dead or not."

Suddenly, memories prior to his unconsciousness came flooding back to Link. The coronation, the Resistance Party, and the encounter with the Great Chancellor. In the blink of an eye, Link's hands grasped onto the bars again in desperation and his face pressed as tightly to the cell as possible. "I need to see Princess Zelda!" he yelled with eyes on the woman soldier. She seemed unfazed by his sudden outburst, and so did the other woman prisoner.

"An assassin sent to kill the Princess, are you?" the woman prisoner assumed casually, her arms crossed on her chest. "No, I was the Hero sent by the Light Spirits to save this land," Link replied, his hands sliding down the poles in defeat. "You were?" the woman raised an eyebrow.

"You hold an uncanny resemblance to the Hero of Time, give the hair and your roguish appearance. But what business does the Hero of any era have being imprisoned?" she continued, wrapping long taped fingers around a single rust bar.

"The kingdom is being taken over from the inside out," Link began in a hushed voice, trying not to draw the attention of the positioned guard just three stories above them. "The Princess Zelda has been crowned the sole ruler of the kingdom to prevent a foreign man from usurping the throne." The woman's eyes narrowed, but she remained silent. "Please," Link continued, "I need an opportunity to return to Hyrule to see Princess Zelda."

The mysterious woman's eyes ventured upwards, where the sounds of light footsteps could be heard. "Ask and ye shall receive," she smirked, then rushed to cower back in her corner once more. As if they were communicating via mental telepathy, Link came to lean weakly against the west wall of his cell and she cast her eyes downward as the platform lowered to their level. A single female guard offered both inmates a glance as she came to stop the turning mechanism.

The guard marched straight to Link's cell, her eyes averted to the path directly before her before turning her back to the rusted bars and establishing her post at his cell. She was much taller than Princess Zelda, he observed, but still a few inches shorter than himself. Her metal spear was grasped tightly in her right hand, which happened to be Link's weaker hand. He needed to get back to Hyrule Castle by any means necessary, he reminded himself, so it was a chance he would have to take.

With reflexes like a tiger, Link's right hand was on the woman guard's wrist and his left hand bound around her neck. She immediately struggled against him; her left hand flew to his around her neck and she desperately attempted to break free of his hold on her wrist. A scream broke the usual silence in the prison bloc as the woman's wrist snapped and the spear fell to the ground. Now both of Link's hands were about the woman's neck and it was only a matter of seconds until her unconscious body fell limp to the ground before his cell.

"Hero, quickly!" the mysterious woman hissed from her cell across the way, "More shall come!" Link fell to his knees and searched the woman's body frantically for the key he knew she had concealed on her person. Four guards above them had been alerted by the woman's scream, and were quickly scaling down the chamber to investigate. Link forced the key into the slot and twisted it until the cell door came swinging open. "Help me!" he called, throwing the key ring straight to the woman still encaged.

Link retrieved the unconscious woman's spear as two guards surrounded him, armed and ready to strike on a moment's notice. He waited for one of the guards to lunge first, but saw the woman to his rear collapse from an unknown force behind him. As the guard fell, the mysterious woman appeared behind her and a smile crept to Link's face. "Shall we escape, Hero?" she mocked as she took up her own spear and prepared to face the remaining guards that fell to the chamber.

* * *

It seemed as though memory served Link well as the two newfound companions escaped the abyss. They fought their way into the chamber where Link encountered the possessed Twili Zant for the second time in his quest to find the Mirror Chamber. He noticed that Stallord's relics had been returned to their place beneath the quicksand in the same chamber, just sixty feet beneath them. Seven guards flooded the chamber from the prison in a last resort attempt to foil their escape.

Armed with only borrowed spears, both Link and the woman continued to fight relentlessly against the guards until each of them had either been knocked unconscious to the ground to kicked over the edge where they likely met their fate. A sigh of relief escaped the young Hero, and the sound of the woman's spear dropping to the ground echoed throughout the chamber.

"You've done well, Hero," she spoke gently, her smirk hidden beneath the cloth about her face. A smile formed across his own features. "As did you, uh…"

"Ieva," she interrupted quickly, her red eyes borne into his. "I am Ieva of the Sheikah tribe."

He wasn't given enough time to ask any other question before she took off north towards the exit that would lead them to the abandoned colosseum.

Darkness enveloped the world at nightfall, which made the chamber much more eerie. The two rushed into the open chamber that held the remains of the broken mirror to find a single woman standing before the platform with her arms crossed over her chest. She appeared to be any other guard he and Ieva previously encountered, but her demeanor radiated authority. She was more fully decorated with armor than the others as well.

"I am the warden of the Arbiter's Grounds," she spoke with confidence as she took a few steps towards the companions. "I am also the second-in-command of this independent territory. Aveil is my name, and I commend your bravery for managing to escape this ancient, haunted prison."

"I need to return to Hyrule," Link suddenly spoke up, but Ieva pressed an arm to his chest in a protective manner. Aveil watched their interaction closely, then raised an eyebrow as the sky above them began to alight. The pillars which once held the Sages that guided Link on his quest began to emit a white light which seemed to concentrate in a manifested physical form behind the commander.

The figure was also a woman who seemed to be of the same race which inhabited the desert. Her hair was decorated with strings and jewels, as well as a cloth with nicely accentuated her breasts. Jewels and metal bars hung from her long ears, nose, and her belly button. She also wore loose pants like the others, but it seemed to be beneath a thin satin transparent cloth that which led Link to believe that she was of higher status than even the commander before them.

"I have heard your request, Hero," the woman simply spoke. As the remaining light escaped her body, Link immediately recognized her as one of the Sages that advised him in piecing back the Mirror of Twilight. She did not speak much, and if he recalled correctly, she was actually resistant to Link's efforts in defeating Zant and Gannondorf. "I am the widowed Queen of the Gerudo," she introduced, "Nabooru."

"Your Majesty, can you help me in returning to Hyrule?" Link spoke again. "Her Holiness has no interest in assisting the Hyruleans," Aveil scoffed, spitting at Link's feet, "Her husband perished by your own hands, Hero of Twilight. Why should she hear your prayers?"

The memory of Gannondorf's life slowly escaping his body was a memory that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Sliding the Master Sword through his chest in a fatal blow was as easy as slicing butter, but he felt his arms go limp as he tried to pry the legendary sword from the monster's body. But now, Gannondorf was less a monster to him; Link realized that despite the fact that he was the most evil creature created by the Goddesses, he was once a Gerudo and had a loving wife who was tasked with keeping him sealed despite her love for him.

A hand quickly silenced Aveil's harsh rhetoric as the beautiful Sage descended the platform. "Hero of Twilight, do you recall the day which this once powerful portal was destroyed by the powers of Twilight?"

"Yes." How could he forget?

"Only the powers of light can reverse the powers of twilight. Bring to me the mortal incarnation of the Goddess Hylia herself and Hyrule can once again see an era of peace," Nabooru explained softly, her long fingernail pointing directly to the empty stand which once held the mirror.

"The Goddess Hylia? Where would a creature like this exist in Hyrule?" Link asked, his eyes bouncing between Ieva and Nabooru. "Her Highness," Ieva spoke as she came to stand beside the Hero. Her red eyes locked with Nabooru's golden ones for a brief moment before she pulled away her mask. Strange markings of her tribe were engraved in black around her left eye and a white scar ripped through a section of her bottom lip, likely from an encounter previous her imprisonment.

"What do you receive from this?" Ieva asked the Sage, who only smirked in return. "My husband has come and gone in yet another life," Nabooru sighed, "In another one hundred years, another man shall be born into this race and he will rise as the new King and the reincarnation of the man whom I first fell in love with."

Nabooru's palms emitted a white light that travelled from her hands into surround the Hero and his Sheikah companion. "Aiding your quest will only bring about his rebirth sooner," she finished as the white light engulfed them completely and Link shut his eyes to protect himself from the brightness.

Not even a moment later, the loud sound of rushing water was heard from behind him and a gentle breeze tickled the armor that he had once been stripped of in the prison. The moon was hidden behind mountains and the fields of grass before him illuminated with the moonlight. He realized then that he was teleported back to the heart of Hyrule.

* * *

 **Another chapter for the books! I like where this is all going and how it's progressing!**

 **Please continue to review and favorite, your support means so much!**

 **~Alixa**


	6. Quinque

_Quinque_

It was long since nightfall when the Hero of Twilight and his strange companion found themselves on the road towards the looming castle again. Two horses trotted steadily side by side with two hooded figures mounted on them. Ieva had insisted that the partners hide their identities, fearing that Link would be sought out by the Hyrulean soldiers if word of his escape had circulated. Not only that, but Ieva's kind had long been extinct in their world and she feared that if her identity had been found by the wrong person, then their lives would be compromised.

A midnight breeze tousled the dark blonde locks which inevitably fell to cover his indigo eyes. The silence between them had not been disturbed as Link found himself in deep thought, the events of days passed playing like a cinema inside his mind. As much as he found hope in the ancient Sage's words, he found that he could not bring himself to imagine a creature such as the one he and Ieva were to be searching for.

"This creature that the Sage told us of," he finally voiced, "what do you think of her? How is a goddess to exist in the same world as you and I?" Through the darkness, he could see the glow of her mysterious red eyes underneath the wool cloak. However, her eyes returned to the path before them before she spoke. "What do you suppose a goddess should look like, Hero of Twilight? An exquisite creature different from you and I, or perhaps simply a beautiful woman whose presence radiates a light brighter than the sun?"

When he was but a young boy, Rusl would read to him of extraordinary tales where the hero of the stories would meet women of bewitching beauty. However, these alluring women possessed unique powers which assisted the heroes, and eventually led them to a time of peacefulness. Looking back on those childish tales, Link decided that his own life had reflected a similar story to those happy tales. The corners of his lips twitched upward as he recalled a woman of similar characteristics in his past journey, and wondered if she indeed is like a goddess herself.

"I would suppose that a goddess is but merely a woman," Link began, slowing his horse to come to a pace beside Ieva, "She would be of enchanting beauty, with something of a crown upon her head to reflect her position as a goddess. I imagine that she wields a sort of power, unlike anything a human can comprehend, but uses it only for the good of those she watches over." A stifled chuckle emitted from the woman beside him, but it went unnoticed by the preoccupied Hero. "It sounds as if you know of a goddess already," Ieva smirked from beneath her cloak, then raised an arm to gesture towards the falling drawbridge leading into Castle Town in the distance.

There was a sense of relief that overcame Link when he saw that the usually bustling city had not changed in the slightest since his imprisonment months before. The streets were silent in the dead of night, which would be advantageous to the companions traveling in secret to the city's south western corner. Link stole a glance at the pair of soldiers guarding the western gate entrance from beneath his cloak. When he assumed that his eyes met theirs from beneath their shielded faces and remained unbothered by his presence, that he was assured that the cloaks effectively hid their identities and would allow them to roam the city undetected. The Hero led the woman down southern alleyways to quickly find the bar's alcove unguarded and eerily quiet.

His boots echoed their descent down the steep stone steps into the alcove, where he found the figure of his beloved friend and ally hunched over as if she were in search of something. The unsuspecting woman quickly spun around to peer at their faces through the dark, clutching the wood of her broom tightly in fear. "Aye, we're closed for the night," Telma's voice rang through the deafening silence. His hands reached to pull the hood down from his face and he watched as her green eyes lit in relief and excitement. "Good Goddesses, you're alright!" Telma exclaimed, throwing her arms around the younger man's neck. However, a sharp high pitched noise rang throughout the silent streets followed by a prolonged pause of silence. Link held the right side of his face in surprise and his eyes wandered to the hand which moments ago had glided painfully across his cheek.

"What mind did you have to attack that man of magic at the coronation?!" she hissed quietly as Link's gaze returned to her stern one. "Bless Shad's heart, the young boy thought you dead the moment you hit that wall! Before we knew any better, some soldiers were commanded to send you off to some penitentiary in the desert!" Memories of that day flooded his mind as he struggled to remember exactly what occurred following his encounter with the man known as the Great Chancellor.

He could feel Ieva's presence become more prominent as she took a step to stand beside the man, her glowing red eyes never leaving Telma's wary green ones. "This man of magic you spoke of just now… how may we reach him with discretion?" Link almost laughed aloud at the formality of her words. Not that Telma deserved to be spoken to with the utmost dignity, but it simply wasn't the first natural instinct of a person to speak to someone similar to Telma like such. Even the bartender herself seemed amused at Ieva's attempt at being polite. "If you're asking to use that old waterway you slipped through during the twilight, then you're outta luck. The whole passage caved in shortly after the reconstruction of the castle and town began few years ago."

Link and Ieva exchanged glances of disappointed, and the Hero found himself quickly searching his mind for other possibilities. "But if you're tryin' to get back into the castle, then I gotta warn you first," Telma began, her voice more sinister, "Those guards that serve that man of magic have your face memorized, dear. It ain't gonna be easy sneaking around. And if you're off lookin' for the Princess again— excuse me, Queen— then that's gonna be even more difficult. That evil man has eyes on Her Majesty like a hawk. She ain't locked in a tower and left for dead this time around, dear."

"What do you suggest we do, then?"

Telma's eyes moved from Ieva to Link. "The only one of our friends whom I know can roam the castle grounds freely is that roguish Ashei. She surrounds herself with soldiers who are unquestionably loyal to her, so even if one of them does recognize you then they won't sell you out. I'd say that your best chance is finding Ashei first, and asking her to do whatever it is you two need done inside the castle."

The two heroes bow respectfully and thank the feisty bartender for her wise words and blessing. Of course, it wouldn't have felt nostalgic without Telma's explicit words of warning to Link and the foreshadowing of consequences if he failed to heed her warnings. Armed with newfound information, Link decided that the two should take to the eastern roads to scour the city for a passageway to lead them to the castle.

Passing through the streets gave Link an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia. As he passed the wide courtyard of Jovani's home, he wondered if the greedy man had truly changed his ways and donated the gold he obtained from previously selling his soul. He also hoped that the jolly man had traded his greed to find true love… or if true love had found him. Link also wondered if the numerous golden bugs he delivered to the young princess Agitha had brought her joy unspeakable every time her eyes fluttered open to the sight of the glowing creatures. Truly, after experiencing the terror by their sides, Link wanted nothing more than for their lives to be as happy and blessed as one ever could be.

It wasn't a surprise when the two companions stumbled upon the shop that Link recognized to be the old doctor's office. The doors seemed to have been locked shut and the windows were boarded up. A small paper on the doors stated that the office had been foreclosed due to the stingy doctor's inability to pay the government his rent. Even though the doctor was coldhearted and caused many troubles for him, Link still couldn't bring himself to wish anything but a better life for him.

His indigo eyes turned somber the moment they had begun walking the streets, Ieva noticed. He was reliving many memories that he wished he never had in the first place, and she knows that even now Link could never wish those memories gone. Her eyes inspected the run down doctor's office, all the way from the boarded up ground floor to the balcony above where glass vases still rotted away.

Her clothed finger caught the Hero's attention to the open door leading outside to the balcony, where they would be able to climb atop the town's complex system of rooftops until they reached the walls of the castle. "That there… we can use the leverage of those boxes to climb onto the roofs."

The Sheikah woman made quickly and quiet work of the locks preventing them from entering the office. Link watched as she leaped to grapple the edge of the roof with ease and gracefulness, then hold her hand out as he followed behind.

The aerial view was breathtaking. One could see almost all of the rooftops in Castle Town by walking atop the castle walls. It was no surprise when Ieva pointed out Hyrulean archers stationed throughout the complex system of walls, undoubtedly charged with shooting unwanted stranger who crept amongst them. However, they were particularly thankful for the cloak of darkness that the night provided as they maneuvered stealthily about the guards closer to the northern walls.

He could feel Ieva's hand stop him abruptly as they lurked behind a corner on the edge of the western and northern walls. Two guards patrolled ahead, one looking north and the other looking south. Neither could detect the two heroes nearby, but moving past them without a plan was simply impossible. Suddenly, Link felt a warm light tickle his leg and he could see that Ieva's left hand was completely encased in the dim light. After the light had subsided, a sleek bow appeared. "Give me one of your arrows," she whispered. He obeyed almost instinctively, and watched as Ieva pulled the string back and awaited her opportune moment. It came when the guards turned around to converse. The arrow soared with almost blinding speed and imbedded itself into the skulls of both men. Link watched with his mouth agape as the men fell to the side together, and Ieva hurriedly rushed to their position.

"You would've done the same for your goddess, no?" Ieva spoke nonchalantly as she inspected the two dead guards. Her statement struck his heartstrings as the Princess' image came to mind, and he knew he couldn't argue with her. But just how far exactly was he willing to go for her? "Ieva," Link spoke sternly, "I have an idea."


End file.
